“Hinduism” determine their current life and future
lives.
Hindus strive to achieve dharma,
which is a code of living that
emphasizes good conduct and
morality.
Hinduism is the world’s oldest
Hindus revere all living creatures and
religion, according to many scholars, consider the cow a sacred animal.
with roots and customs dating back Food is an important part of life for
more than 4,000 years. Today, with Hindus. Most don’t eat beef or pork,
about 900 million followers, Hinduism and many are vegetarians.
is the third-largest religion behind Hinduism is closely related to other
Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 Indian religions, including Buddhism,
percent of the world’s Hindus live in Sikhism and Jainism.
India. Because the religion has no
specific founder, it’s difficult to trace
its origins and history. Hinduism is
unique in that it’s not a single religion
but a compilation of many traditions
Hinduism Symbols
and philosophies.
There are two primary symbols
associated with Hinduism, the om
and the swastika. The word swastika
Hinduism Beliefs means "good fortune" or "being
happy" in Sanskrit, and the symbol
represents good luck. (A diagonal
Some basic Hindu concepts include: version of the swastika later became
associated with Germany’s Nazi
Hinduism embraces many religious Party when they made it their symbol
ideas. For this reason, it’s sometimes in 1920.)
referred to as a “way of life” or a
“family of religions,” as opposed to a The om symbol is composed of
single, organized religion. three Sanskrit letters and represents
Most forms of Hinduism are three sounds (a, u and m), which
henotheistic, which means they when combined are considered a
worship a single deity, known as sacred sound. The om symbol is
“Brahman,” but still recognize other often found at family shrines and in
gods and goddesses. Followers Hindu temples.
believe there are multiple paths to
reaching their god.
Hindus believe in the doctrines of
samsara (the continuous cycle of life,
death, and reincarnation) and karma
(the universal law of cause and
effect).
Hinduism Holy
One of the key thoughts of Hinduism Books
is “atman,” or the belief in soul. This
philosophy holds that living creatures
have a soul, and they’re all part of Hindus value many sacred
the supreme soul. The goal is to writings as opposed to one holy book.
achieve “moksha,” or salvation, which
ends the cycle of rebirths to become
The primary sacred texts, known
part of the absolute soul.
as the Vedas, were composed around
One fundamental principle of the
1500 B.C. This collection of verses
religion is the idea that people’s
and hymns was written in Sanskrit
actions and thoughts directly
and contains revelations received by The Epic, Puranic and Classic
ancient saints and sages. Periods took place between 500 B.C.
and 500 A.D. Hindus began to
emphasize the worship of deities,
The Vedas are made up of: especially Vishnu, Shiva and Devi.
The Rig Veda The concept of dharma was
The Samaveda introduced in new texts, and other
Yajurveda faiths, such as Buddhism and
Atharvaveda Jainism, spread rapidly.
Hindus believe that the Vedas
transcend all time and don’t have a
beginning or an end.
The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Hinduism vs.
Gita, 18 Puranas, Ramayana and
Mahabharata are also considered Buddhism
important texts in Hinduism. Hinduism and Buddhism have
many similarities. Buddhism, in fact,
arose out of Hinduism, and both
believe in reincarnation, karma and
that a life of devotion and honor is a
path to salvation and enlightenment.
Origins of Hinduism
But some key differences exist
Most scholars believe Hinduism between the two religions: Buddhism
started somewhere between 2300 rejects the caste system of Hinduism,
B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus and does away with the rituals, the
Valley, near modern-day Pakistan. priesthood and the gods that are
But many Hindus argue that their integral to the Hindu faith.
faith is timeless and has always
existed.
Unlike other religions, Hinduism has
no one founder but is instead a fusion
of various beliefs. Medieval and Modern
Hindu History
Around 1500 B.C., the Indo-Aryan
people migrated to the Indus Valley,
and their language and culture The Medieval Period of Hinduism
blended with that of the indigenous lasted from about 500 to 1500 A.D.
people living in the region. There’s New texts emerged, and poet-saints
some debate over who influenced recorded their spiritual sentiments
who more during this time. during this time.
The period when the Vedas were In the 7th century, Muslim Arabs
composed became known as the began invading areas in India. During
“Vedic Period” and lasted from about parts of the Muslim Period, which
1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rituals, such lasted from about 1200 to
as sacrifices and chanting, were 1757, Islamic rulers prevented
common in the Vedic Period. Hindus from worshipping their deities,
and some temples were destroyed.
Mahatma Gandhi Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and
Between 1757 and 1947, the British purity
controlled India. At first, the new Saraswati: the goddess of learning
rulers allowed Hindus to practice their
religion without interference. But
later, Christian missionaries sought to Hindu Places of
convert and westernize the people.
Worship
Many reformers emerged during the
British Period. The well-known Hindu worship, which is known as
politician and peace “puja,” typically takes place in the
activist, Mahatma Gandhi, led a Mandir (temple). Followers of
movement that pushed for India’s Hinduism can visit the Mandir any
independence. time they please.
The partition of India occurred in Hindus can also worship at home,
1947, and Gandhi was assassinated and many have a special shrine
in 1948. British India was split into dedicated to certain gods and
what are now the independent goddesses.
nations of India and Pakistan, and
Hinduism became the major religion
of India. The giving of offerings is an important
part of Hindu worship. It’s a common
practice to present gifts, such as
Starting in the 1960s, many Hindus flowers or oils, to a god or goddess.
migrated to North America and
Britain, spreading their faith and
philosophies to the western world. Additionally, many Hindus take
pilgrimages to temples and other
sacred sites in India.
Hindu Gods
Sects of Hinduism
Hindus worship many gods and
goddesses in addition to Brahman,
who is believed to be the supreme Hinduism has many sects, and is
God force present in all things. sometimes divided into the following:
Shaivism (followers of Shiva)
Some of the most prominent deities
include:
Vaishnava (followers of Vishnu)
Brahma: the god responsible for the Shaktism (followers of Devi)
creation of the world and all living
things Smarta (followers of Brahman and all
Vishnu: the god that preserves and major deities)
protects the universe Some Hindus elevate the Hindu
Shiva: the god that destroys the trinity, which consists of Brahma,
universe in order to recreate it Vishnu and Shiva. Others believe that
Devi: the goddess that fights to all the deities are a manifestation of
restore dharma one.
Krishna: the god of compassion,
tenderness and love
Hindu Caste System Hindu Holidays
The caste system is a social Hindus observe numerous sacred
hierarchy in India that divides Hindus days, holidays and festivals.
based on their karma and dharma.
Many scholars believe the system
dates back more than 3,000 years. Some of the most well-known include:
The four main castes (in order of Diwali : the festival of lights
prominence) include:
Navaratri: a celebration of fertility
and harvest
1. Brahmin: the intellectual and
spiritual leaders Holi: a spring festival
2. Kshatriyas: the protectors and public Krishna Janmashtami: a tribute to
servants of society Krishna’s birthday
3. Vaisyas: the skillful producers Raksha Bandhan: a celebration of
the bond between brother and sister
4. Shudras: the unskilled laborers
Maha Shivaratri: the great festival of
Shiva
Many subcategories also exist within
each caste. The “Untouchables” are a
class of citizens that are outside the
caste system and considered to be in
the lowest level of the social -END
hierarchy.
For centuries, the caste system
determined every aspect of a
person’s social, professional and
religious status in India.
When India became an independent
nation, its constitution banned
discrimination based on caste.
Today, the caste system still exists in
India but is loosely followed. Many of
the old customs are overlooked, but
some traditions, such as only
marrying within a specific caste, are
still embraced.
